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Sukhu trashes Punjab, Haryana’s objections, says water cess doesn’t violate any law
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in a statement made in the assembly in response to the objections raised by Punjab and Haryana said that the Himachal government doesn’t contravene any kind of inter-state treaties or provisions of the Indus Water Treaty.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said the Himachal Pradesh Water Cess on Hydropower Generation Act, 2023, does not violate any law and thus objections raised by neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana hold no rational.
The CM in a statement made in the assembly in response to the objections raised by Punjab and Haryana said that the Himachal government doesn’t contravene any kind of inter-state treaties or provisions of the Indus Water Treaty.
He denied the assertions made by Punjab and Haryana that Himachal government’s decision to impose water cess goes against the Inter- State River Disputes Act, 1956, is illogical.
Sukhu said that the decision does not in any way affect the water released to the other states.
The CM said that Himachal Pradesh has the jurisdiction and right to impose water cess as more than 45,000 hectare land in the state was submerged in the three dams of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).
Besides, the state has also faced ecological consequences due to these projects, said the chief minister.
He said that whenever a hydropower project is built, the Environmental Social Impact Assement (ESIA) is carried out to compensate for the adverse impact of the project.
Besides, Environmental Social Management Plan (ESMP) is implemented for the uplift of the local area and environmental and social security but the BBMB projects took no steps to address these issues, said the CM.
He said that these dams have not only engulfed agriculture and horticulture land but also caused obstructions of means of transport besides inundating water sources and places of worships but those who were displaced have not been rehabilitated even after more than half a century.
Sukhu also asserted that the BBMB was set up was set up by the ministry of power in accordance with the provisions of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, to administer, maintain and operate the Bhakra Nangal Project, which is a joint venture and state undertaking of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh.
He said that the management of the BBMB is not controlled by the states of Punjab and Haryana alone.
Hence, the burden of water cess on the BBMB projects will also be distributed equally among the five states, including Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu said.
He said that the water cess has been imposed on the water used for hydropower generation and not on water flowing to the neighbouring states.
